Nerubian
"unseen emperor",http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/wrath/features/bestiary/index.xml Queens, Spiderlords, | language = Nerubian, Common | slang = Draconic, Dwarven, Low Common, Thalassian and Zandali. | faction = Neutral | character = Worker, Warrior, Seer, Webspinner, Vizier (nerubian survivors); Crypt lord, Crypt fiend (Scourge) | mount = Not applicable | homeworld = Azeroth | height = Varies by caste. | alignment = Lawful evil (usually or often, depending on caste) }} Nerubians are an ancient race of intelligent arachnoids native to Northrend within the kingdom of Azjol-Nerub. History Early history At the ancient continent Kalimdor's center was a mysterious lake of incandescent energies, the Well of Eternity. It was the true heart of the world's magic and natural power. From this magical ether the silithid were born. As the fallen Old God C'Thun recognized their appearance, he attempted to sunder the world that it once held in its unmerciful grasp. The Old God created avatars from the silithid in its own image. These avatars were to be known as the aqir. The aqir ruled the lands of the far west. These clever insectoids were greatly expansionistic and incredibly evil. The aqir were obsessed with eradicating all non- life from the fields of Kalimdor. So the two big troll empires of Gurubashi and Amani found their common enemy in the third empire — the civilization of Azj'Aqir. The trolls fought them for many thousands of years, but never succeeded in winning a true victory over the Aqir. Eventually, due to the troll's persistence, Azj'Aqir split in half as its citizens fled to separate colonies in the far northern and southern regions of the continent. Two aqir city-states emerged — Azjol-Nerub in the northern wastes and Ahn'Qiraj in the southern desert. So the new kingdom of Azjol-Nerub that stretched like a great web beneath the desolate glaciers of the land later known as Northrend was founded.The Twin Empires War of the Spider Thousands of years later when the Lich King extended his influence over Northrend, the shadowy empire stood against his power. The ancient subterranean kingdom of Azjol-Nerub sent their elite warrior-guard to attack Icecrown and end the Lich King's mad bid for dominance. Much to his frustration, Ner'zhul found that the evil Nerubians were immune not only to the undead plague, but to his telepathic domination as well. The Nerubian spiderlords commanded vast forces, and had an underground network that stretched nearly half the breadth of Northrend. Their hit-and-run tactics on the Lich King's strongholds stymied his efforts to root them out time after time. Ultimately, Ner'zhul's war against the Nerubians was won by attrition. With the aid of the sinister dreadlords and innumerable undead warriors, the Lich King invaded Azjol-Nerub and brought its subterranean temples crashing down upon the spider lords' heads. Though the nerubians were immune to his plague, Ner'zhul's growing necromantic powers allowed him to raise the spider-warriors' corpses and bend them to his will. As a testament to their tenacity and fearlessness, Ner'zhul adopted the nerubians' distinctive architectural style for his own fortresses and structures. Though there are few pockets of nerubian warriors left, they still seek to gain vengeance upon Ner’zhul and reclaim their subterranean kingdom.War of the Spider (History of Warcraft) Recent history Mael Shelub, a living nerubian necromancer traveled south and worked with (but hated) the Forsaken Blarus Whitrick to defeat the Scourge in Silverpine Forest. World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King At Blizzcon 2007, the nerubians and the old gods were described as B.F.F.http://www.wowinsider.com/2007/08/04/blizzcon-day-2-wow-lore-and-quests-panel-liveblog/ With the death of their former leaders, the nerubian viziers have risen to power. They serve an '"nseen emperor", one who is destined to lead the ancient spider-people to a final victory over the Scourge.http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/wrath/features/bestiary/index.xml There are still pockets of Nerubians down there literally fighting for their lives, and we have any number of plans about how they play into things. What are they about? Are they principled, or even worse in some ways than the Scourge itself? -Chris Metzenhttp://www.1up.com/do/previewPage?pager.offset=1&cId=3163178 The Wrath of the Lich King bestiary reveals a new subspecies, the humanoid viziers. They were described as seers (probably as distinct caste from other types of nerubian seers) and advisors to the nerubian spiderlords. Also they have been given a new model. Kilix the Unraveler Is friendly however, and offers quests to Azjol'Nerub and Ahn'Kahet. He also refers to the faceless ones as having "invaded" Ahn'Kahet, indicating that the Nerubians and Old Gods are less friendly with each other than previously thought. Culture According to Anub'arak, and as attested by many traps and contraptions in Azjol-Nerub dungeons, they were once good engineers. Azjol-Nerub contained huge libraries of literature, philosophy, and arcane lore. Occasionally, the kingdom would kidnap humans and elves for experimentation. Nerubian culture may place great store in longevity; Nerubians encountered at the Sundered Monolith told Brann their ages, and they seemed impressed by his. Nerubian culture resembles the ancient Egyptian and Mesopotamian culture in terms of their architecture, though the ziggurats are of a completely different design. Society Different types of nerubian are referred to as castes with a life-long occupation and responsibility in society. Seers, for example, are relatively high-level nerubians who act as priests and mages. Spider lords are the rulers of the society in the same mold as the aristocracy of humanoid races. The spider is the most common motive of the nerubians, and they have appeared to have evolved at least partially into an arachnid race (eight limbs) from an insectoid race (six limbs). Despite the nerubian cultural association with spiders (who reproduce through any male and any female), they reproduce as social insects do, through queens. Undead nerubians are usually under control of the Scourge and are known as crypt fiends (in the case of most nerubians) and crypt lords (undead spiderlords). Too few crypt fiends appear in Azeroth, so nobody knows yet what nerubian females look like or are called. Languages Nerubians speak Common and Nerubian. Nerubian is both a spoken and a sign language. Many nerubians are fluent in Common as well as their own tongue (a clicking rasping language). Faith In ancient Azjol-Nerub, there were five or six schools of religious thought, and theological debates were common. Eventually, however, nerubians have come to a conclusion that worshipping creatures from beyond the world is insane, and, in the words of the seer Ul'Tomon, "makes as much sense as a fly caught in a web worshipping the spider who is about to devour him". To modern nerubians, even the concept of "worship" itself is alien. Castes * Crypt fiend * Crypt lord * Nerubian flyer * Nerubian king (only a single one) *Nerubian queen * Nerubian seer * Spiderling * Nerubian spiderlord * Nerubian vizier * Nerubian warrior * Nerubian webspinner * Nerubian worker Notable nerubians * Anub'arak * Mael Shelub * Nezar'Azret Gallery Image:Nerubian2.jpg|Nerubian as seen in Warcraft III. Image:Nerubian3.JPG|Nerubians fighting murlocs. Image:Nerubian Ziggurat W3.jpg|Nerubians lived in or drew power from ziggurats in Warcraft III. Image:Nerubians2.JPG|Nerubians in their halls. Image:NerubianStructure1.jpg|A nerubian building. A hint of qiraji style can be seen. Image:NerubianStructure2.jpg|Another nerubian building. Image:WWI Nerubian.jpg|Unknown nerubian concept artwork Image:WarCraft Raneman009b.jpg|Nerubian elder Image:WarCraft Raneman008b.jpg|Nerubian flyer Image:WarCraft Raneman007b.jpg|Nerubian assassin See also * Origin of the races: The Evolution of the Aqir * Silithid * Arachnathid * Aqir * Qiraji References Category:Lore Category:Nerubians Category:Aberrations Category:Creature classes